Travel. Travel a lot. It is great fun. When you get to travel for your business and get to eat your way through France and Italy, go for it.

Mark and I just returned from Europe where we tasted our way down the Rhone River in Provence, France then into the Northern and Central part of Italy. Not to worry, everyone walks a lot in Europe so putting on the pounds is not part of the deal. Enjoy the pleasure of long leisurely lunches and dinners so well perfected in Europe. Enjoy the cultural differences. That is why you travel.

French oils and French food

France has been making olive oil for a very long time. It is steeped in history, culture, lore, and food. As in many countries the olive producers take their growing very seriously. They rely on their grandfathers to tell them how to prune, when to feed their trees, and when to pick the olives at just the right time to produce their lovely oils. The French varieties are unique. We grow only three here at IL Fiorello: Aglandau, Boutellian, and Tanche. Other French varietals are Collumella, Grossane, Lucques, Picholine, Languedoc, and Salonenque. But history aside, French olive oil producers are transitioning from stone wheels and augers to press their oils to a more sophisticated method using a centrifuge. The stone wheels, according to a French grower, produce a more mild oil. But that may also be because they tend to harvest late, when the olives are riper. So there are many variables in the equation of producing fine olive oils. The French seem to prefer a milder, elegant oil with a slight fusty taste. Culturally, this is important since “Grandfather” determined when to pick and when to take the harvest to the mill. If olives are picked over a few days’ time some of the first picked olives will begin to ferment leading to the attribute/defect of “fusty”. This type of flavor has been paired with French cooking for a very long time. Culturally, this is how they love their oils and food.

We served our French oil at our French Provencal cooking class on June 29 and again at our release Bastille Day celebration of our wines and French oil on July 13. IL Fiorello turned French on that weekend. Come and try the French oils and compare them to our Mission and Italian varieties.

Italian oils and Italian foods

Italy has been producing beautiful olive oil for a millennium. The Greeks and Romans used oil for food, as well as for anointment during competitive sports and religious events. Each area of Italy has its own food preferences and makes its own oil to pair with the foods. Climate and historical preferences dictate what is grown in each area. Great Grandfather gives the direction, Great Grandmother right behind him. Do not go against their preferences or experience. Mid (Tuscany) to Southern (Sicily) Italy grow olives because of the climate. Each area has developed its own food specialties and preferences. Parma has ham. Modena has Balsamic vinegar. Cherasco has snails. Bra has its own particular cheese, named after the river Tenero; Bra Tenero (fresh) and Bra Duro (hard). Liguria, on the Italian Riviera, grows Taggiasca olives. They are harvested late and the oil is buttery and mild. We grow Taggiasca here at IL Fiorello but we plan to harvest earlier than in Italy, because we like the beautiful fruit aromas of the earlier harvest.

The most commonly known Italian varieties are Frantoio, Leccino, Moraiolo, Maurino, and Pendolino. Each also has synonyms, Frantoio is also known as Razzo, or Correggiolo. Each area may name its trees by the great, great grandfather that settled in the area. Cultural preferences are indicative of the preferences and history of the area. Italy has been growing olives and fruit and vegetables for thousands of years and each area is very proud of their produce. I love going to the farmers markets where each vendor can give you a dissertation about their growing practices. No snack food at these markets! Eating is serious business eating in Italy. Many conversations are about what everyone is preparing for dinner, what they had for dinner and what they are planning for tomorrow. It is spectacular to hear the devotion and respect for food.

Festivals abound around food, wine, and religion. Wine is also specific to the growing area, the soil, the wind, rain, and growing practices. Both Italy and France serve wine as a condiment with meals. It is just part of everyday life. We often choose the house wine wherever we eat. Often this is the family’s own wine, or a particular preference by the Chef. Listen to their recommendations, they really know how to pair food and wine. Each region celebrates their hard work and their food. Wonderful, wonderful eating and experiences.

We should respect Farmers markets here in California with the fervor and anticipation the way Europeans respect theirs. It is all about food, food preparation, and eating seasonally. Eat fresh, eat well, and eat good food, with respect to the growers.

Respect cultural differences, enjoy traveling and continue to taste everything. A whole new world will be open to you.

JULY is national ice cream month, but we have something much better. Italian Gelato!!! Celebrate!

IL Fiorello has gelato, made by Leo Leo in Paso Robles. The family is from Florence, hence the name Leo, or Lion, the symbol of Florence. Fantastic, delightful, perfect, amazing, colors and flavors. 99 to be exact. Each week we will offer different flavors. Current favorites are Passion Fruit Sorbet, Chile Chocolate and, of course, Olive Oil Gelato made with our own olive oil and drizzled with lemon olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Heavenly.

We served gelato in the colors of the French flag at our Bastille Day celebration, Blueberry blue, Honey Lavender white, and Strawberry Basil red. We do have fun. The next offerings will include Pistachio. Everyone who has gone to Italy will testify that this is the test of how good the gelato really is. We will have my very favorite in the Fall, Chestnut. Beautiful creamy vanilla with chunks of chestnuts. Drizzled with a wee bit of balsamic it is my perfect gelato. Or maybe creamy gelato with a shot of espresso on top, called affogato. Or maybe stracciatella, chocolate bits interwoven into super creamy gelato. Or maybe just espresso, dark and rich. So many to choose from. We purchased peanut butter and jelly for the kids, and all the adults ate it because of the clarity of the flavors. Great!

We had such a hard time trying to decide what flavors to have at IL Fiorello. It was a very hard job tasting each and every flavor. You should have seen us by the end of the day. Wanting to taste more and more but groaning with pleasure at the wonderful flavors and colors. Maybe we should hold a contest as to which one is the best, that would be a lot of tasting, but we could rise to the occasion.

We have had many requests to sell the gelato by the pint and gallon so we are making plans to do just that. How fun is that idea?

Look up Leo Leo. Their web site is too good to be real. Then come to IL Fiorello for a taste. See the gorgeous photo below from their beautiful web site.

When my girls were young we used to read all the Shel Silverstein books for children and adults. This one poem makes me laugh and sigh, as Mr. Silverstein died all too early. He has entertained many a person with his wit and art. Buy all of his books and read to the children with a scoop of ice cream to top it off. This poem is just delightful for national ice cream, really gelato, month.

Il Fiorello goes solar! We have installed solar panels on our Visitors Center and on our Mill Barn to capture the brilliant sunshine energy of Suisun Valley. We decided to make the commitment and do what we really believe in, using a better way to produce energy. As we expand the Visitors Center we will be adding more panels and it is our hope to expand the solar array to fully support our energy requirements. As the saying goes this is a good thing, and about time too.

To further our commitment to use resources more efficiently, we are mulching and composting to improve soil quality, conserve water, and to add nutrients to our soil. Much of the trimmings from our pruning, as well as the remaining olive material after making oil are used in our compost. It just makes sense to use what we have and be as self-sufficient and productive as possible. Olive trees are drought tolerant but we want ours to thrive so we are monitoring water usage by weekly calculations of both temperature and humidity. We want to produce good food for you.

National Geographic Magazine recently published an article titled “EAT, The New Food Revolution” (May 2014). A team of scientists were confronted with one simple question: How can the world double the availability of food while simultaneously cutting the environmental harm caused by agriculture? After analyzing reams of data on agriculture and the environment, they proposed five steps that could solve the world’s food dilemma.

Here at Il Fiorello, we like to play with unique pairings of olive oil, food, and selected wines.

One of our favorite pairings is chocolate olive oil truffles and Galvan Family Cellars’ Dolcetto dessert wine. This pairing in particular is mouth-wateringly delicious. The truffles are made with dark chocolate and our Leccino olive oil, a winning combination if ever there was one. The silky, yet pungent, Leccino blends with the chocolate such that the truffles positively melt in your mouth. Adding the dessert wine, 99% Dolcetto grapes blended with 1% brandy, only heightens the flavors with its notes of dark plum and cherry. The complex flavors of the chocolate, oil, and wine make this the perfect afternoon indulgence.

So many people have tried wine and chocolate but have you ever considered throwing olive oil into the mix? Keep in touch for more fun food and oil pairings from Il Fiorello and Executive Chef Marvin Martin.

This is a synopsis of the olive fly meeting held on Feb 28, 2014 in Solano County. This represents information given to participants by experts in the field. As with any synopsis this does not constitute a complete coverage of the subject of olive fly and growing olives. It is always best to consult professionals about how to manage pests and chemicals, whether organic or not. We at IL Fiorello use professional support for assistance and information, as you should also. At the end of this article please see a partial list of resources for your support.

Fly first reported in LA county 1997. Generally the regional parks and landscape olives are not treated. For the COOC almost 4% (2% previous years) of submitted oils are not meeting certification criteria this year for a variety of reasons, maybe olive fly, maybe early frost. The counties hardest hit with fly are Sonoma, Napa, Solano Co and San Diego Co.

Use irrigation control as the hot weather dehydrates olive fly so limit/control your irrigation. In 100°F weather don’t irrigate the trees. Heat makes female flies inactive and you should carefully monitor temperature and humidity in grove. It is mandatory to do annual heavy pruning as the olive fly likes a dark damp quiet eg. no wind, environment. Black scale likes that environment also. Black scale is a food source for olive fly. Very important to get the fruit off the tree each year so the fly does not overwinter in the “mummy fruit”.

Damaged or frozen fruit falls first so you may have a crop after the bad fruit falls off. But do not let the damaged infested fruit stay on the ground to over winter. It is reported that the fly has a 6 mile flying radius. Discuss your olives with your miller if you have questions or concerns. Transport of olive fly is not a generally accepted practice. Milling olive fly infested fruit is not good practice, and some mills will not accept olive fly infested fruit at all.

Reviewed the biology of the fly, the Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) single host pest that only destroys olives and not the tree. She is recommending that yearly traps are set by March first. Dr. Ferguson referred to a 2009 study by Dr. Frank Zalom, UC Agricultural and Natural Resources, UC IPM online, http://ipm.ucdavis.edu and are peer reviewed articles.

There may be genetic differences and California may have a unique genetic variety but this has not been scientifically proven yet.

Dr. Ferguson showed a Dendogram cluster describing the fly cycle.

1. Adult olive fly
2. Egg in fruit
3. First instar (instar being the process of growth of the pupae)
4. Second and third instar
5. Third instar
6. Pupa in fruit

Females can live 11 months and may pupate in the ground. They have 3-5 generations per year and can pupate in the soil. So sanitation in the orchard is important. Disking and tilling the soil around the trees is valuable in controlling olive fly.

Mc phial trap: Torula yeast is used in the Mc phial trap and is effective in capturing females because of the liquid especially with the addition of GF-120 to the container. Read the directions carefully and keep up with the trap maintenance.

The olive fly population is bimodal: spring and July August.

Control essential with:

1. Early season control NO host able olives.
2. Winter sanitation program
3. Preseason and throughout the season control with Spinosid GF-120 is critical.
4. High heat over 100° F will kill first instars
5. Mass trapping should never be done alone use Spinosid GF-120
6. Harvest as early as possible to miss fall generation.
7. Consider the use of Kaolin clay, which does not prevent photosynthesis but seems to be effective as a fly deterrent.

Danitol

Danitol pyrethroid registered for use in 2012, is not organic. Valent technologies states that “Danitol is a synthetic pyrethroid that provides a powerful knockout punch for more than 100 of the most troublesome pests, including the invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB). It is labeled for more than 120 crops—such as peach and other stone fruit, citrus, pome fruit (apples and pears), grapes, cotton, tomatoes, strawberries, peanuts, bushberries and blueberries. Unlike other synthetic pyrethroids, Danitol is proven not to flare mites and combines the effectiveness of both an insecticide and miticide.”

Dr. Ferguson states that “it is to be used only late in the season and only once, then return to GF-120.” See the manufactures handout on their instructions for application of the product.

Spinosid resistance was an ongoing question, but the investigated ration is a resistance ratio of about 10.93. Which is described as quite low.

Resistance is a function of the total number of applications. We don’t have a resistance problem now but we could. Monitor the fruit as well as the traps. Danitol should be used only once and only late in the season. It is not organic. Use a HOBO data temperature and humidity monitoring station that displays real time data information. This is very useful in irrigation monitoring. Set two traps per 5 to 10 acres in the orchard. Place them mid canopy in the shade in the north-east side of the tree. Monitor weekly for catch.

Jill LeVake, DOW ChemicalConsiderations for use of GF-120 Spinosid in Controlling OLFF

Spinosid is an organic compound composed of sugars and protein. It has stabilizers to improve shelf life and humectants to prevent drying. The re-entry interval (REI) is 4 hours and the pre-harvest interval (PHI) is 3 days. Once mixed use that amount within one day, as it begins to deteriorate after being mixed. The use amount is 20 oz per acre per tree 2 to 3 ounces of the ratio based per tree. The 1 to 1.5 dilution ratio results in little bait stations on each tree. The use is about 20 ounces in 80 ounces of water. The nozzle stream is important, use a D 1 to D 2 size nozzle with no swirl plates or screens. Almonds near olive orchards should be also treated and provide some synergistic effect for the olives. Put the traps out March first. Get them out early and monitor them. Then begin applications of GF-120 in April. Apply to every other row every 7 days.

Spinosid is pH sensitive 7.0 so mix with neutral water, and test well water if that is what you are using for diluent.

PLEASE ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE PRODUCERS FOR GF-120, DANITOL, and McPHAIL TRAPS.

Jim Allen, Solano County Ag Commissioner
Regional Approaches to Pest control and Abatement

These are regional issues and proximity is really the issue. Agricultural commissioner has the authority to supervise re abandoned orchards. This is a civil vs commercial issue.

Another pest is being monitored for progression, the olive psyllid is a relative of aphids and sucking insects. Don’t bring fruit or fruit trees from Southern California to stop this infestation. If you do not want olives apply Fruit Stop at bloom or purchase Swann Olives that are non-bearing.

Dan Flynn, Executive Director of the UC Davis Olive CenterFuture for Olive Fruit Fly control, Making New Tools Available

He stated that the goal of the center in multipurpose, including table olives and oil producing olives. He is dedicated to quality in all olives both table and olive oil and to research in both areas. There is funding and ongoing projects in both.

Please refer to the UC Davis IPM pest management site for great information.

He repeated the caution of using Danitol to use it only late in the season and then go back to GF-120. To research the use of Kaolin clay and referred to an article by Paul Vossen from 2006.

Flynn also reminded everyone that there are years to come to have the research answers.

Olive center can be the distribution of information and he is placing articles on line for reference. Please find best practice information on line at the UCD Olive Center web site, and the IPM web site.

When working in a tasting room, you never know who is going to walk through the door. The guests might be completely new to olive oil or they might be experts. They may want an in depth tasting or they may just be interested in one type. Fortunately, we have something for everyone. However, being mentally prepared for everyone takes a little more work.

The key is knowing your own strengths. Personally, I love food. Eating is one of my favorite things to do. Therefore I’m more likely to talk about food pairings than say the health benefits of olive oil. I have a background in science but I know that not everyone is going to be interested in that aspect of olive oil. So, not only is food a topic I enjoy but it’s something everyone can enjoy. The tastes of the different oils are going to speak for themselves. Everyone is going to have their own reactions to each of the oils. But, by engaging the guests in a topic that everyone loves, the experience is going to be more enjoyable for everyone involved, myself included.

A family came in the other day. They had never done an olive oil tasting before. The two little girls were so incredibly excited to hear that our White Peach Balsamic goes great on vanilla ice cream (the younger one’s favorite flavor) while their older brother was more interested in trying our Chili oil on popcorn. After their mother and I swapped tips for mashed potatoes with our Leccino olive oil they headed straight to Safeway for supplies.

You never know what’s going to stick with someone. So talk about what you know and love. Excitement is contagious!

The olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera:Tephritidae), is an important pest to be very aware of if you grow olives (Olea europaea). This pest was introduced and invaded California around 1998, and spread rapidly throughout the state and northern Mexico (Rice et al., 2003). It is very prevalent in Europe.

We are spraying our trees every other week. Some growers spray each week. Each time we spray every other row and then alternate each two weeks. I always spray each of the border trees. Not sure if it makes a difference but it makes sense to me to set up a barrier. I spray a target spot on each tree about the size of a dinner paper plate, at mid-level of the tree. I must admit that I have a great time spraying, me in the early morning, with little Casey riding along beside me. With coffee in hand and dog biscuits, we drive around the property and watch the birds and inspect each tree.

Paul Vossen is one of the leading experts in olive growing in California. His chapter in Organic Olive Production in the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Publication No. 3505 from 2007 is very relevant and worth reading. Along with his co-author Alexandra Kicenik Devarenne, Mr. Vossen states that this is the most economically significant pest of olives. If you spray you can save up to 80% or more of the crop. This is very economically important.

Per Mr. Vossen, “The Olive Fruit fly belongs to the family Tephritidae, a group that includes such economically important flies as the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata), the walnut husk fly (Rhagoletis complete), the apple maggot (R. pomonella), and the Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis). Chapter 6, Pg. 47.

An adult can lay 50 to 400 eggs in a lifetime, one in each olive. As the maggot grows it eats the inside of the olive and destroys the fruit.

To prevent this destruction we spray with GF-120 Naturalyte a bait spray using the active ingredient Spinosad. Spinosad is a fermentation byproduct of the actinomycete bacteria Saccharopolyspora spinosa. Hence the name spinosad. This is a certified organic spray. It seems to have little effect on honey bees and ladybugs.

Begin spraying early and continue into the Fall harvest. We inspect each batch of olives and may reject olives that are heavily infested as this will affect the taste of the oil. And we do not want olive flies here at our Farm.

Call us if you have any questions or problems with olive fly. We can help you with some small amounts of GF-120 if you have only a few olive trees.

At the Green Valley Farmers Market and at IL Fiorello we presented a beautiful dish of Cici Beans, or chick peas, cooked with a soffrito and olive oil. This recipe was presented to a group of Chefs from the Michael Mina Group restaurant RN74 during a comparative oil tasting. We paired the dish with a very robust Mission Olive Oil and it was very well received.

We wanted you to have the recipe. Feel free to change up the ingredients to suit your taste profile.

Begin with soaking dry cici beans in lots of fresh water over night, at least 12 hours.

In the morning rinse the beans thoroughly with fresh water.

Next chop a white onion, a red onion, celery, garlic, and gently sauté in olive oil until the vegetables are translucent. Add salt and pepper to taste. This is called a soffrito in Italian and a mirpoix in French. The amounts are about a cup of each of the onions and celery and 2-4 heads of garlic or more to taste.

The next step is to combine the soaked cici beans with the soffrito, add more olive oil to cover and let cook in a crock pot for at least 10 hours or until tender but not soft. Serve in bowls with a sprinkling of herbs or cheese or cut fresh tomatoes. This dish gets even better the next day as the herbs have time to soak into the dish.

You may be use to olive oil that your grandmother served, the kind that stays under the cupboard and comes in tin cans, too often rancid and adulterated. The oils of IL Fiorello are single varietal, early harvest for good pungency and certified extra virgin. At the New York International competition our oils were awarded Gold Medals and we were named as one of the world’s best olive oil producers

Individual varietal oils have distinctive flavors and are paired with foods that complement each flavor. Many Americans are not used to the distinct flavors of excellent olive oil and may not understand how to use freshly milled 100% olive oil with a robust taste and full flavor. At IL Fiorello we teach guests how to taste oil, how to use oil, and what extra virgin olive oil really tastes like.

As an olive miller and grower there are many factors to consider when producing oils:

Variety of Olive. There are many varieties of olives. We are growing eight varieties, each with its own distinctive flavor. Before we planted a tree we tasted many oils, both in the US and in Europe, and then made a decision which variety to plant. Each olive has a unique taste and many mature at different times. During harvest time we are always out in the grove making decisions about when to harvest and which varietal to harvest. Our varieties are Frantoio, Leccino, Pendolino, Mission, Taggiasca, Moraiolo, Aglandau and Bouteillan.

Time of Harvest. The general rule is to harvest early for robust oil and harvest later for a more mellow oil. Early harvest tends to produce oils that last longer and a later harvest tends to make oils that are mellower but lose their flavor profile more quickly. But, this is also very varietal dependent. Our olives are hand harvested and are milled within 2-4 hours of being picked. Some olives can rest after harvest for 12-24 hours. No longer should you harvest during the week and then bring the olives to the mill on the weekend.

Method of Milling. We mill, we do not press. Centrifuges have replaced presses. Today there is no such thing as “first cold press”, which you will still find on labels. We don’t press olives; we mill olives, 14 hours a day during harvest. Heat is necessary to extract the oil. We use gentle heat very carefully to help extract oil, without damaging the quality. The term “first cold press” is from long ago and far away and not relevant to olive oil milling today. We use Pieralisi designed centrifuges with very little oxygen exposure. The efficiency of the centrifuges allows for better extraction of the oil from the olives.

Method of Storage. After milling, perfect storage is critical to olive oil. The oils are stored at a temperature of 62°F covered with an inert gas and left quiet. Decanting occurs after 2-3 months.

Olio Nuovo and Extra Virgin Oil. Olio Nuovo is new oil, oil that has just been milled, fresh robust and very intense. This is special oil but it only lasts a few weeks as this robust oil. This is our favorite oil. After milling in November and December, we allow the oil to rest. The sediment settles and then we decant the oil in January and February. Decanting prevents the defect of “winey”, as the sediment may ferment and taint the oil.

EVOO Extra Virgin Olive Oil certification. Certification from the COOC (California Olive Oil Council) and UC Davis Olive Center, ensures that you purchase only olive oil, no additives, no adulteration, and the oil meets specific International and California standards.

Olive oil is one of the few foods that must pass both a chemistry test and a taste test.

The chemistry panel tests for components that indicate the oil is fresh and has no decomposition before milling, and it is only olive oil. Tests for polyphenols and DAGS indicate oxidation or degradation of the oil.

The taste test involves a master taste panel using organoleptic methods to detect flaws in the oil.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil can only contain olive oil. So labels saying “100% EVOO” or “Pure EVOO” are redundant and confusing. Co-milled flavored oils cannot be extra virgin by law. This is a buyer beware or buyer be aware business.

Tasting Olive Oil. Each oil must be balanced with the taste of olive fruit, bitterness, and pungency. If the oil is not in balance it may not be certified extra virgin. There are many tasting evaluation scorings cards, but fruitiness and balance are extremely important. You also cannot discuss olive oil without talking about the food. In our tasting room we discuss the balance of oils, the unique characteristics, and suggestions as to the use of the individual oils. Color of the oil is irrelevant to the taste profile.

Presentation to guests. Take the opportunity to explain what variety of oil they are tasting. The taste diversity of oils is similar to the taste diversity of wines. This discussion gives everyone another opportunity to interact with guests. When preparing food with oils, the addition of acidity while using oils may be equally important in the overall flavor profile. Use the balance of spice, sweetness, acidity and richness (Mina 2006) with the addition of bitterness and pungency to make a balanced presentation.

I collect cookbooks and one of my favorite books is What We Eat When We Eat Alone, Stories and 100 Recipes by Deborah Madison and Patrick McFarlin. Deborah Madison is the author of many cookbooks; all are very good. Deborah is the former owner of Greens Restaurant in San Francisco and a Chef who, when we were talking about cooking, described herself to me as a vegophile.

This book was published in 2009 and the forward reads “This book is dedicated to all who find themselves alone at the table. May your solitary meals be delicious and the company just as good.” What a wonderful statement! Madison goes on to say, ”Our relationship with food is one of the defining and intimate relationships of our lives; it says a lot about who we are and how we live.” This book is a sneak preview into the private lives of people, all kinds, some who cook and some who don’t, but the book is more of a thoughtful, funny, presentation of human behavior surrounding food. The illustrations are wonderful and done by her husband Patrick McFarlin. This is a really good read, not unlike another favorite author MFK Fisher. But I will write more about MFK Fisher and her tangerine segments on the radiator in another blog.

So why am I eating alone?

Last week Mark went to a private financial meeting in San Francisco and I got to eat alone. Rather, sort of alone, but for the company of 8 cats and one dog, all of whom follow me everywhere. But the crew aside, I do love a solitary evening just to relax and think and cook. Just follow the pictures and you will have a nourishing dinner. So away you go into my solitary meal. Enjoy.

Take three ingredients out of the pantry.

And a very good olive oil!

Don’t forget the good wine to also keep good company while boiling the water and cooking the pasta

While the pasta is cooking make a salad or just have perfect tomatoes for a snack.